Can you imagine how excited I waswhen the Idaho Potato Commissionasked me to join their potato harvest tour? It was a food geek’s dream come true.
Our first stop was at the James Hoff Farm, where we had a lovely dinner prepared bythe Hoff family. I’m still thinking about the potato chip cookies they served that night!
The next day, we visited Tiede Farm where we got our hands dirty digging up some spuds.
The cowboy look, yay or nay?
Yes, those are ALL potatoes!
Before coming on the trip, Inever knew how potatoes are handled from the farms to the consumers. I learned that the growers generally grow, harvest and store potatoes, but they don’t deal with washing, processing, or packing potatoes for sale. Instead, they send the potatoes toprocessing plants likeWada Farmsfor packing or for creating potato products like fries and instant mashed potatoes.
Besidesvisiting potato farms, we also got to do some sight-seeing around Idaho. Here’s Craters of the Moon:
Sun Valley:
I can’t say that I have become a potato expert after going on the trip to Idaho, but it certainly made me appreciate the efforts of potato farmers and processors so much more. The work that goes into turning a potato seedling into a commercial product requires persistence and a heavy dose of patience, more than I can ever muster. However, when you speak to these farmers and processors, I could sense that theyfeel passionate about what they do, and I have nothing but admiration for them.
In honor of my trip to Idaho, I decided to cook up some potato fritters. Yes, even after spending 4 days eating potatoes at every meal, I went home and cooked EVEN MORE potatoes. I told you I couldn’t live without them!
MASTER LISA’S MISTAKES (AKA COOKING NOTES)
- Squeezeexcess water from the vegetables: I mean it! You want to make sure that you squeeze out as much excess water from the zucchini and potatoes as you can so that you don’t get soggy fritters.
- Tzatziki sauce: I thought these fritters tasted great without the sauce, but I make a batch for the photos (but let’s keep that between you and me). Here is the recipe I used.
- Rinsing the potatoes: Potatoes start oxidizing the moment you peel them. Ever wondered why the piece of potato you left on the counter turns into a pinkish-brown color? Oxidation at work! Giving them a quick rinse will keep them from changing color too quickly.
These turmeric zucchini and potato fritters requireonly 8 ingredients to make! If you try this recipe, make sure to tag me on social media and use #hnbeats. I love seeing your creations!
4.50 from 2 votes
PRINTPIN
Author: Lisa Lin
Turmeric Zucchini and Potato Fritters
These 8-ingredient fritters are easy to make, and they’re great as an appetizer. Makes around 11 to 12.
Ingredients
- 1 pound (455g) zucchini, grated
- 1 pound (450g) russet potatoes
- 4 tablespoons chickpea flour, all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour works also
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup chopped chives
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- salt and pepper
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- tzatziki sauce, optional
Instructions
Place the grated zucchini in a bowl and mix in a pinch of salt. Set aside.
Peel, rinse, and grate potatoes. Place grated potatoes in another bowl and rinse with water to get rid of some of the starch. Drain and squeeze out excess water.
Take the grated zucchini and squeeze out excess water. Mix in grated potatoes and garbanzo bean flour. Give the grated vegetables another big squeeze to drain out excess water. Mix in the eggs, chives, turmeric, about another teaspoon or two of salt, and pepper.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on a pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Scoop out 1/3 cup of the vegetable mixture and place it on the hot pan. Use a spoon to flatten out the mixture to rounds that are about 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick. I cooked 4 fritters at a time. Pan fry each side for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Plate the cooked fritters. Pour another 2 tablespoons of oil into the pan, and continue cooking the rest of the fritters. Add more oil as needed.
Serve fritters with tzatziki sauce if you want. Best served immediately.
Notes
If you want a good tzatziki sauce recipe, try this one. Warning: that recipe yields a HUGE batch of tzatziki, probably enough to feed 20 people. I suggest halving the recipe when you make it.
Did you make this recipe?Tag @hellolisalin or leave a star rating and comment on the blog!
Category: Appetizer, Gluten Free
Disclosure: My trip on the Idaho Potato Harvest was fully sponsored by the Idaho Potato Commission. While I was not required to write a post about my trip, I just wanted to share my experience with all of you! Hope you enjoyed reading it!
Hello! I’m Lisa Lin
Here, you’ll find well-tested Asian recipes, pantry guides, and recipes from my sassy mother, Mama Lin. Through my recipes and cooking videos, I hope to honor the food and traditions that surrounded my Chinese American upbringing.
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Sylvie says
The turmeric adds such a lovely color to the fritters!
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Lisa says
Thanks, Sylvie!
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What a fabulous trip, Lisa! And, I DO like the cowboy look. It’s pretty remarkable what goes into farming on so many levels. Things we don’t get to see much of. Visiting farmers, where and how crops are grown connects us to their process and helps us appreciate the effort it takes to get that potato to the store. It’s so easy to lose sight of this because we go to the store and all the produce is just there. Ready to be bagged and taken home. SO much goes into producing those ‘spuds’. And these fritters? That’s all you gotta say… fritters. I mean, yes please! They look fabulous, Lisa and I know are over the top delicious! Thank you for sharing your trip and this fabulous recipe with us my dear!!
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Lisa says
You’re absolutely right. I can barely maintain my fresh herbs on my counter, so I can’t imagine how much work goes into growing and harvesting acres upon acres of produce! And I know this isn’t the case for every farmer, but I loved that farming is their passion, and they don’t mind getting their hands dirty for the rest of us!
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That sounds like such a cool trip! That’s a wild amount of potatoes- makes me want some right now 🙂 These fritters look insanely delicious. I love that you used garbanzo bean flour and turmeric in your recipe. So unique and creative! I bet these taste as amazing as they look!
xx SydneyReply
Lisa says
Thank you, Sydney! I feel like such a naive city girl when I say this, but I honestly could not believe the amount of potatoes there were!!
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Melissa Falk says
Beautiful recipe, Lisa. I am trying to cook more with turmeric. Can’t wait to try this one!
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Lisa says
Turmeric goes well with so many things. Definitely toss it into your cooking when you get the chance!
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Yuuum!! Looks like a great trip — and these sound super tasty! I’m a huge potato fan, too! xo
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Lisa says
Thanks, Mary!
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Sandy says
I’m excited to try these! the Tzaziki page recipe is saying it’s not found. Just wondering if you have a copy of the tzaziki recipe, please?
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Lisa Lin says
Hi Sandy, I found the recipe on the website and updated the link! Honestly, I need to come up with my own recipe soon and post it on here!
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Sandy says
Thank-you. I was hoping it would be vegan or dairy free, at least. Do you have a lead on a dairy free, non-coconut one 🙂
Digging up potatoes would have been a dream come true 😉
And I’ve never had fritters!Reply
Lisa says
Fritters are definitely worth making! It requires a little bit of effort, but they taste so good in the end!
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Your pictures are beautiful from your trip! I love potatoes too – they’re just one of those foods/ingredients that is delicious no matter what!Reply
Lisa says
Thank you, Jessica! The trip was amazing!
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Beautiful photos of your farm visit! That sounds like such a neat experience! These fritters look amazing…pinning for later 🙂
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Lisa says
Thank you, Rachel! I had a lot of fun in Idaho!
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Yum, this looks like such a fun trip! I’ve never been to Idaho but I am a huge potato fan! I usually just bake em and then top with salsa and a little cheese, basic but delicious. These fritters sound amazing!
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Lisa says
You know what, I don’t make baked potatoes enough! I usually just roast potato chunks, but I’m just dreaming about that potato/salsa/cheese combo right now!
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your trip looked so fun!!! totally going to try these fritters!
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Lisa says
Thank you, Alice!! I LOVED Idaho!
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A potato tour does sound like a dream come true! Potatoes are one of my favorite foods and I think about them often too 🙂 I’ve been looking for ways to cook more with turmeric and these fitters are perfect! I also love that they have zucchini in them!
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Lisa says
Potatoes are just a lovely universal ingredient that works with any cuisine! It’s one of my favorite foods, too! Thanks, Izzy!
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Carla Barnes-Kimble says
took pictures of your pictures to paint. as a person just starting to try my hand at this I was intrigued by the creek scene
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Cindy says
Made a double batch of these tonight for Meatless Monday. They were pretty good, I served them a tomato salad and some pitas. I forgot to buy chives, so used green onions, I think I’ll try shallots if I make them again, maybe some more herbs or spices. Overall this is a good recipe.Reply
